Wrapping machine



Nov. 5,

H. A. svlGN ET AL.

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1927 '5 Sheets-Sheet l Figi.

ATT

vNOV. 5, 1929. H A sEvlGNE ET AL 1,734,351

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 21. 1927 5 sheets-sneer 2 77 Fi'gz. 77

fl a@ wf# gl 591 7g EIM/M l A 7 TURA/fx NOV- 5, 1929- H. A. svlGNr-f ET AL 1,734,351

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 21. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 5.

. patent, the result Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRI A. SVIGN, 0F WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CHARLES E. JACOBS, OF

NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNORS T0 NATIONAL BREAD WRAPPING MA- CHINE COMPANY, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS WRAPPING MACHINE This invention relates to machines for wrapping articles such' as loaves of bread or cake, and has particular reference to machines of the type illustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,412,754 issued April 11, 1922 upon an application liled by Svign and Arnold.

As illustrated by Figures 26 to 34 of said patent, the operation of that machine resulted in assembling a loaf and a Wrapping with the top of the loaf in contact with the middle portion of the Wrapper, then simultaneously folding the wrapper against two opposite sides of the loaf with edge portions of the wrapper projecting substantially equally beyond the plane of the bottom of the loaf, then simultaneously folding side edge portions of the Wrapper against the ends of the loaf to form outstanding corner folds, then folding said corner folds in overlapping position against the ends of the loaf, and then successively turning in different edge portions of the wrapper and overlapping them against said bottom of the loaf with a single final flap or edge portion overlying all other turned in edge portions.

While the form of fold just describedl is largely employed, some bakers prefer what is known as an end fold or wrap; that is, a form of fold wherein the final folding and sealingis effected at the endsof the loaf instead of at the bottom thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved machine which, while similar in many respects to that of the patent referred to, automatically and rapidly encloses the articles in Wrappers having final sealed folds at the ends thereof instead of the bottom.

Another object is to provide a wrapping. machine which not only measures the length of each wrapper section according to the size of each loaf to be wrapped therein as is done by the machine of the said patent referred to, but also enables a web of paper to be employed for the wrappers which web is much narrower than that emplo ed in the machines of said being that the present improved machine not only uses wrapper sections of minimum length to reach around the loaves., regardless of the heightthereof, but

1927. Serial No. 185,496.

also of minimum width. This last is due to the fact that in the resent improved machine the web of wrapping material is not, and does not need to be, wide enoughto permit any side edge portions thereof to not only extend down Figure 3 is a perspective view, looking in4 the direction of the arrow 3 adjacent to Figure 2, and omitting some parts of the machine the illustration of which would confuse'the figure.

Figure 4 represents a detail section on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figures 5, 6,7 .and 8 are .views illustrating the successive steps of the wrapping opera-l tion.

Similar reference characters indicate similar arts or features in all of the views.

1' e will first briefly describe some of the parts of the present machine which, are the same, or substantially the same, as. in the Patent N o. 1,412,754, although thelreference characters employed herein are not the same as in said patent.

Portions of the frame of the machine are indicated at 25. From a supply roll lmounted on a frame-supported core or shaft, the web of paper P lpasses under'tension rolls or rods 27, then over a feed drum 28 with which upper rolls 29 cooperate to feed the web over a bed or table 30 a greater or lesser distance according to the size of each loaf V to be wrapped in a section which is cut off from the web by a-knife 31. The variation in the length of feed or advance of the web before it is cut, is controlled by the -feeler 37 presently 32 onto a horizontal 'bed 33 and a ainst a stop wall 34, and are successivelyed in over the bed 33, by one of the series of pushers 35, to position for the commencement of the wrapping operation.

Each loaf is then raised by one of a series of lifting lingers 36 moving upwardly through a vertical chute or passageway, and saidloaf, when so moving, carries with it a wrapper section which is thereby draped over the loaf. Each loaf, when first moved in over the bed 33 by a pusher 35, passes under a feeler 37 carried by a lever 38 which lever, by mechanism described in the patent referred to and illustrated by Figures 7 to 12 thereof, controls the length of advance or feed of the web by the drum 28 .and Arolls 29 so that the length of the section cut od' by the knife 31 will be only such as to sufficiently but economically surround the loaf of that particular size.'

The bed 30 has horizontal extensions over which the side margins of the paper ride just before the knife 431 operates. The lifting fingers 36 and the loaf elevated thereby pass up between saidextensions, and the paper section is draped over the loaf. As the loaf and wrapper section continue to rise, Athey pass between two primary end folders 40 adj ustably mounted on fixed brackets 41. Said folders act upon the wrapper to fold itto the position illustrated by Figure 5, such action being substantially the same as that performed by similar primary folders of the patent hereinbefore mentioned.

Secondary folders 42, one at each side of the vertical passageway, are attached to and'carried by the iXed plate 43 forming one wall of said passageway, and a third pair of folders 44 are mounted as hereinafter described. The edges of the folders 42, 44, are so shaped, somewhat helically, as to effect, during the upward movement of the loaf and wrapper section, a folding of the -wrapper t0 the form illustrated by Figure 6.

As so far described, the machine is the same as, or closely similar to, the machine of the Patent No. 1,412,754. In said patent the structure was such that the wrapper employed was necessarily of sufficient width to enable edges of the folded portions herein illustrated at a, in Figure 5, to be folded somewhat under the bottom of the loaf. Important features of the present improved machine are the mechanisms which will now be described and which effect end folding as illustrated by Figures 7 and 8.

As the partially enclosed loaf (Fig, 6) rises .and reaches its uppermost position in the `vertical passageway, and just before the.

lifting fingers drop down away from itin the manner explained in said Patent No. 1,412,754, two end pressers 45 (Figs. 1 and 2) having horizontal face ribs 45, move in toward each other and hold the loaf. Then a reageer folder blade 46 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) swings in and folds the wrapper portion b (Fig. 6) in under the bottom of the loaf, and immediately thereafter a folder blade 47 acts to fold the wrapper portion b in under the loaf to partly overlap the portion b. This results in the wrapper assuming the form illustrated by Figure 7, with the overlapped and tapered portions of the end or corner folds projecting outwardly under the lower edges of the end pressers 45. As illustrated by Figure 1, spaces are provided below the edges of the pressers to enable the corner folds to project as just described. 1

lThe mechanism for operating the pressing and folding devices just mentioned will now be described.v

Eachk end presser 45 has' its shank 48 mpunted in a slideway 49 carried by the frame of the machine, and is operated by an elbow lever 50 pivoted vat 51 and having a roll which is acted upon by a Cam 52 carried b the shaft 53 (Fig. 3). By means of suitaliyle springsV notnecessar to illustrate,A the andf pressers 45 act yiel ingly against the The folder blade 46 is mounted on a bar 54 carried by two arms 55 of a rock shaft 56 havinfr, at one end, an arm 57 provided with a rol engaging a path cam 58 carried by the shaft 53 (Fig. l). j

The folder 47 has end blocks 59 mounted in horizontal slideways 60 at opposite sides of the frame of the machine (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). .Each slideway 60 has a shank 61 mounted in a vertical slideway 62 fixed to the frame of the machine. This is in order that the folder 47 may have a vertical movement to effect upward pressure against the bottom of the loaf. To effect this movement, each shank 61 has a roll 63 riding on a cam 64 carried by a shaft 65. .To reciprocate said folder 47 to cause it to advance under the loaf and then retreat, each horizontally slidable block 59 is connected by a link 66 with an arm 67 of a rock shaft 68 mounted in the frame of the machine and having at one end an arm 69 connected by a link 70 with the upper end of'a lever 71 pivoted on shaft 56, thel lower end of said lever 71 having a roll 72 riding on a cam 73 carried bythe shaft 53.

The mechanism just described actuates the folder 47 in an advancing path While lowered, then upwardly and then backwardly, and the timing of its operation'is such that as the other transverse folder 46 acts on the wrapper Sap 5' (Fig. 6) to tuck it under the loaf, the said folder 47 moves under the loaf while in a lowered plane due to the lowered vertical movement of the horizontal slideways 60, and while so moving under the loaf exes the wrapper flap b', and then moves upwardly and completely folds said flap b up against and partly overlapping vthe Hap "lhis strueture ensures such spacing of 45 is that since the said the tueker or folder 47 from the bottom of the loaf that the forward edge of said folder has practically no tendency to tear the wrapper when moving under'the loaf. During this movement the corner folds c c are formed, with their tapered tips extendin outwardly. The folder' 47 then retreats and rops to lowered position ready for the next advance folding movement. Before such retreat of the folder 47 and while both of the tucking or folding members 46, 47, are in their inward positions over the top of the vertical passageway, the loaves are moved laterally by the pushers 74 as presently described, and therefore said members 46, 47, act as a temporary bridge or floor for the loaves to support them as they are moved along, so that a loaf can not so tilt back into the top of thepassageway that it would catch against the top of the wall plate 7 9` and be crushed. In 'other words, each loaf will be slid smoothly along over the temporary bridge afforded by the members 46, 47, when acted upon by a pusher 74.

The completion -of the end foldin is effected while the loaf, in the wrappe condition illustrated by Fi ure 7, is being pushedV horizontally by one o the pushers 74 carried by chains 75 similar to mechanism of the patent hereinbe'fre referred to. When a pusher 74 moves the enclosed loaf along over the folder plate 47 the outwardly extending tapered tips of the end corner folds c c pass into, and are turned up by, -the upwardly inclined crevices a (Fig. 1) between the rear inclined edges of the pressers 45 and the inclined edges of plates or fingers 76 extending from side heaters 77 (Fig. 2), said inclined crevices servin to complete the end folds .as illustrated by igure 8. The reason for the ribs l45 on the inner faces of the end ressers ressers are earing against the ends of theI oaf while avpusher 74 is moving it horizontally said ribs serve as guides to prevent the loaf from tilting as it is transferred in -horizontal direction. Without said ribs, the loaf would tilt or drop as the outwardly projecting corner flaps or folds illustrated by Figure 7 commence being turned up into the mclined crevices As the completely wrapped loaf is moved along by a pusher 74, its end folds are sealed b the action of the heaters 77, preferably-I electrical heaters, the wrapping material being, as usual, waxed paper. And its bottom overlapping edge portions are similarly sealed Vby the action of a horizontal heater 7s (Fig. e):

Returnin now to the vertical pasageway through' w ich the loaves are successively elevated by the lifting fin ers 36, it will be seen that the inner wall o said passa eway consists of a plate79 which carries the older helixes 44 (Fig. 1). 'Said plate is mounted to be yieldable relatively to the opposite or outer wall plate 43, and is also actuatedd to be swung in proper timing by mechanism presently described. Said plate hasy a pair of lstuds 80 projecting from its rearface, near its lower edge, said studs passing through holes in a fixed transverse bar 81 carried by frame brackets 82. Springs 83 coiled around the studs 80 permit the yielding movement; above mentioned. Projecting rearwardly from the upper portion of the plate 79 is a stud 84, said stud passing through a hole in an ear 85 of a pitman 86- slidably mounted or guided on the shaft 87 and having a roll 88 engaging a face cam 89 indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. A spring 90 is coiled around the stud 84, said spring cooperating with the springs 83 above referred to in permitting the wall plate 79 to bear yieldingly against any upwardly moving loaf which may have a top portion wider than the regulation width of the pan in which it was baked.

The timing of operation of the wall-plateactuating cam 89 is such as to swing said plate back just as the loaf reaches its uppermost position in the vertical passa eway and is gripped by the two end pressers 5, and the lifting fingers 36 are about to drop down away from the loaf. This will be readily understood by assuming that a loaf,in the wrapped condition illustrated by Figure 7, is present in Figure 1 in the plane of, and held momentarily by, the end pressers 45. At this time that one of the endless series of lifters 36 which elevated the loaf to the position just assumed, swings down to the tilted position shown in said Figure 1 in the 'same manner as explained in the Patent No. 1,412,7 54 and illustrated by Figure .4 of that patent. Dur'- ing this movement, the fingers swing from the horizontal plane which they have while lifting the loaf, to a downwardly inclinedy plane just prior to moving over or back to than in the machine of the patent referred to, to-.describeor move in said arc without ycontacting with the face of said wall plate 79. The object of drawing or swinging the plate 79 back momentaril as has been described i to enable the li ting fingers 36 to have suc length as to reach substantiall across the entire width of the bottom of eac 1 loaf when performing the lifting operation, such len h of reach materially reducing liability o va loaf tilting over during its upward movement through the vertical pas- 9 back'to the position sageway. The timing of oscillations of the wall plate 79 is lsuch that immediately after the lifting fingers have cleared it when dropping down from a loaf and started over for its return downward travel, said wall plate is returned by the cam 89 to vertical position parallel with the other wall plate i3, to properly guide the loaf which is being elevated by the next oi the endless series orl .litters 36.

Having now described-our invention, we claim:

l. A wrapping machine comprising means or assembling a loa and a wrapper with the top of the loaf in Contact with the middle portion of the wrapper, means 'for then simultaneously folding the wrapper against two opposite sides of the loaiQ with edge portions of the wrapper projecting substantially equally beyond the plane of the bottom of the loaf, means tor then simultaneously folding intermediate side edge portions oi the wrapper down against the ends of the loai to iiorm outstanding corner folds, means Jtor then folding said corner folds in overlapping position against the ends oi the loaf, means for then olding transverse edge portions of ,the wrapper against the bottom ofthe loaf,

and means for then folding portions oi the overlapped corner folds up against the ends oi the loai'.

2. A machine substantially as speciied in claim l and having means for applying heat to the bottom and ends ot the wrapped loat.

3. ln a wrapping machine, the combination with wrapping mechanism, of means for feeding wrapping material, means actuated by the passage of an article to be wrapped for operating said feeding mechanism, said Y operating mechanism 'including means for proportioning the size oi the wrapper to the size of said article, and means for folding all side edge portions of the wrapper against laterall the ends of the article.

4. A wrapping machine having feeding mechanism for a web of wrapper material, a cutter for severing the web into sheets, folders orinclosing each article in a wrapper sheet with the corner portions of said sheet overlapped and folded up against the ends of the article, and means controlled by the'passage of each article 0n its Way to be assembled with its wrapping sheet for determining the operation of the feeding mechanism and cutter according to the size of said passing and controlling article.

5. In a wrapping machine, a vertical passageway having successively operating folders therein, means for elevating articles successively past said folders, pressers above said passageway for temporarily engaging the ends of each article, said pressers having horizontal ribs and spaces being provided below the lower edges of the pressers to permit folded portions of the wrappers to extend out below said edges, and means for pushing the article from between said pressers while guided y said ribs.

6. In a wrapping machine having means for enclosing each article in a wrapper, a

nrs-acer movable ifolder, and means for imparting thereto a substantially tour-motion path or" movement relatively. to the bottom ot the article.

7. lin a wrapping machine having means for enclosing each article in a wrapper with edge portions oi the wrapper at the bottom of the article, a movable older, and means :lor imparting thereto a substantially fourmotion path oi movement relatively to the bottom' oi thearticle.

8. ln a wrapping machine having means vfor enclosing each article in a wrapper with edge portions of the wrapper at the bottom of the article, a folder plate having a'substantially four-motion path of movementrelatively to the bottom ot the article, and means for pushing the wrapped article over said plate toward the delivery end of the machine. 9. lin a wrapping, machine, a vertical passageway having successively operating folders therein, means for elevating articles through said passageway, vcolder plates movable toward and from each other across the top of the said passageway, and means for imparting to one of said plates a path o movement to cause it to advance while lowered, to then rise, and then retreat.

it). lin a wrapping machine, a stationary plate and a yielding plate adapted to form the sides oi a vertical passageway, a series of carriers adapted to transport articles successively through said passageway, wrapper folding mechanism in said passageway, and means for intermittently oscillating the said yielding plate.

1l. ln a wrapping machine, a vertical passageway having opposite wall plates one of which is provided with means for intermittently oscillating it relatively to the other plate, wrapper folders adjacent to side edges of said plates, and means for elevating articles successively through said passageway.

12. ln a wrapping machine, a pair of wall members relatively located to provide a vertical passageway, article-lifting fingers movable upwardly through said passageway, said fingers being mounted to swing downwardly when they reach the upper end of the passageway, means for folding portions of the wrappers while being lifted, and means for momentarily retracting one 'of said wall members to avoid contact of said fingers therewith when swinging downwardly.

13. In a wrapping machine, a pair of plates relatively located to provide walls of a vertical passageway, an endless series of articlelifting fingers movable upwardly through said passageway, said lingers being mounted to swing downwardly whenthey reach the upper end of the passageway, means for folding portions of the Wrappers while being lifted, and means for momentarily retracting one of said plates to widen the space between the two plates when said lifting fingers swing downwardly. A

14. In a Wrapping machine, means for elevating an article and a wrapper draped thereover, means for partially folding the wrapper while being elevated, means for tucking op,- posite transverse edge portions of the wrapper in opposite directions under the article while raised, one of said tucking means being movable in a path to cause it to advance while lowered, to then rise and then retreat, and means for then folding side edge portions of the wrapper against the ends of the article.

15. In a wrapping machine, means for elevating an article and a wrapper draped thereover, means for partially folding the wrapper while being elevated, means for tucking opposite transverse edge portions of the wrapper in opposite directions under the article while raised, one of said tucking members having means for moving it under the article and then upward toward said article, means for moving the article and its Wrapper laterally on and over the last-mentioned tucking member while the latter is raised, and means forfolding side edge portions of the wrapper up against the ends of the article.

In testimony whereof we have aixed our signatures.

HENRI A. SVIGN. CHARLES E. JACOBS. 

